Rail retaining key



June 14, 1932. R. FARIES ET AL RAIL RETAINING KEY Filed Nov. 11. 1931 FIG;

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ATTORNEYS.

QWITNESSES: v

Patented June 14, 1932 STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT FARIES, OF ST. DAVIDS, LAND CHARLES D. YOUNG, OF EAVERIEOBD, PENIl'v SYL'V'ANIA RAIL RETAINING KEY Application filed November 11, 1931. Serial no. 574,314.

Our invention relates to rail retaining keys and more particularly to a resilient key designed for use in combination with a rail and a special form of tie plate as a means for either limiting or resisting vertical movement between the latter elements. In using the term tie plate herein, we mean to include any type of plate or foundation upon which the base of a rail is adapted to rest or to be secured.

One object of the invention is to provide a retaining key which when used in combinationwith a particular form of tie plate will enable rails to be quickly and readily assembled upon the tie plates and to be removed with equal facility. Another object of the invention is to provide rail retaining keys and tie plates which are of simple and inexpensive manufacture, and yet which, when used in association with each other ac cording to the practice of the invention effectivelyserve to limit or resist vertical movement of the rails to which they are applied. Still another object of the invention is to take advantage of the inherent resiliency of a rail retaining key in causing the same to become locked or caught upon a tie plate in a manner such as to prevent dislodgement incident to service in track.

Further objects and advantages characteristic of our invention will become more apparent from the description hereinafter of an embodiment or example thereof, the description having reference to the accompanying drawing. Of the drawing:

Fig.1 represents a plan view of a rail, a tie plate and retaining keys of our invention, the rail being in horizontal section to show the parts more clearly; and,

Fig. 11 represents avertical cross section of the same, taken. as indicated by the lines HH of Fig. l.

There is shown in the drawing a portion of a rail 1 of standard form having a base or flange 2 resting'upon a tie plate 3. The tie plate 3 is in turn secured to an underlying tie 4 by screw spikes 5 of a conventional form, the heads of which bear upon flat bosses 6. However, the particular means employed for fastening the ,tie pl te 3 to the underlying tie 4 does not constitute a part of our invention and may obviously be varied to suit different conditions.

lhe tie plate 3 is formed with upstanding ribs 7, between which the rail base 2 is accommodated, and which serve as stops reventing lateral movement of the rail. ear the outside edges of the rail base, and preferably adjacent to the upstanding ribs 7, two

slots 8 and 9 are formed at each side of the tie plate 3, the slots 8 being relatively broad and merging with the relatively narrow slpts 9 '7;

At the underside of the tie plate 3 and adjoining the narrow slots 9, recesses 10 are provided. At the top surface of the tie plate 3, notches 11, or equivalent formations, serving as abutments for the ends of the retaining keys 12, 12a, are provided.

The rail retaining keys 12, 12a in their preferred form are made from a flat bar of resilient material and of uniform thickness and are bent to form spring loops 13 at their central portions which, when, the keys are assembled, extend above the rail base 2, either in contact with the rail, as shown at the left of Fig. l, to resist vertical movement of the rail with respect to the tie plate 3, or clear of the rail base, as shown at the right hand of Fig. l, to serve as a stop limiting the vertical movement of the rail to a predetermined distance. While for the purpose of illustrating alternative arrangements, the retaining key 12 shown at the left hand of the figure is formed to assume one position with relation to the rail, whereas the retaining key 12a shown at the right hand is formed to assume a difierent position, it will be understood that in the ordinary practice of the invention the same condition will exist at both sides of the rail.

Each retaining key 12, 12a is shown sharp ly bent at the end portion 14, preferably forming a right angle between the extremity or leg 15 and the remainder of the key. The length of the extremity or leg 15 substantially corresponds with, but is somewhat shorter than, the broad slot passing through the tie plate 3. Moreover, the thiclmess of the key is somewhat less than, the width of the narrow slot 9. Accordingly, the key 12, 12a is adapted to be applied to the tie plate by inserting the end portion 14 within the broad slot' 8, with the retaining key assuming the position indicated in dot-and-dash lines at the right hand of Fig. I, dropping the key vertically so that its extremity or leg 15 rests upon the top surface of the tie 4, and then shifting the key longitudinally to the posiloop 13 of the intermediate portion of the key.

The looped portion 13 is, accordingly, maintained transverse to the rail 1 and in a predetermined position above the rail flange.

When so applied to the tie plate 3, the re taining key 12, 120 will not be dislodged incident to the normal vibration or movement of the rail, for the forces exerted thereby, and which tend primarily to lift the key rather than to shift it longitudinally, are adequately resisted by the tenacity of the spring-grip vof the retaining key upon the tie plate. To remove the retainin key; however, it is merely necessary to strlke the key with a downward blow which tends to compress the spring loop 13, and hence to dislodge the end 16 from its corresponding notch 11. Thereafter the key may be shifted to a position beneath the broad slot 8 -and then raised clear of the tie plate.

From the above description, it will be .noted that the retaining keys and tie plates of this invention are of simple and inexpensive manufacture and are readily assembled and disassembled. Under certain conditions it may be desirable to apply the retaining keys with their looped portions in pressure engagement with the rails, in which case they operate as rail fasteners preventing or resisting any movement between the rails and tie plates, and under other conditions it may be found desirable to utilize theretaining keys as stops, not in actual contact with the rail, but limiting the extent of its vertical movement. While we have described one example of the practice of our invention, with reference to a particular form of retaining key and tie plate, it will be apparent that'various changes may be made in the shape of these parts as herein described, without departing from the spirit of our invention which contemplates a variety of forms for these parts.

1I Iaving thus described our invention, we 0 mm:

1. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having therethrough a relatively broad slot merging with a relativelynarrow slot, and a resilient retaining ke having a sharply bent end portion adapte to be passed through said broad slot and shifted into said narrow slot, and having the opposite end caught on the top surface of the tie plate with the intermediate portion looped above the base of the rail.

2. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having therethrough a relatively broad slot merging with a relatively narrow slot and having a recess at the underside of the tie plate adjoining said narrow slot, and a resilient retaining key having a sharply bent end portion adapted to be passed through said broad slot and shifted into said narrow slot with the extremity thereof engaged in said recess and having the opposite end caught on the surface of the tie plate with the intermediate portion looped above the base of the rail.

3. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having therethrough a relatively broad slot merging with a relatively narrow slot, said tie plate having a recess at the underside adjoining said narrow slot and a notch at the top surface adjacent to said narrow slot, and a resilient retaining key having a sharply bent end portion adapted to be passed through said broad slot and shifted into said narrow slot with the extremity thereof engaged in said recess and having the opposite end caught in said notch with the intermediate portion looped above the base of the rail.

4. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having therethrough a relatively broad slot merging with a relatively narrow slot, said slots being formed near the edge of the rail base, and a resilent retaining key having a sharply bent end portion adapted to be passed through said broad slot and shifted longitudinally of the rail into said narrow slot with the extremity thereof caught at the underside of the tie plate, and having the opposite end caught on the top surface of the tie plate with the intermediate portion looped above the base of the rail.

5. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having therethrough a relatively broad slot merging with a relatively narrow slot, and a resilient retaining key having one end portion bent to substantially a right angle and adapted to be passed through said broad slot and shifted into said narrow slot with the leg beyond the bend caught at the underside of the tie plate, and having the opposite end caught on the top surface of the tie plate with the intermediate portion looped above the base of the rail, said broad slot substantially corresponding in ,width to the length of said leg of the key, and said narrow slot substantially correspondingin width to the thickness of said key.

6. In combination, a rail, a tie plate having therethrough a relatively broad slot merging with e relatively nerrevv siot, seid tie piste heving adjacent to said narrow slot a, recess st the underside enoi a notch at the top surface, endl e resilient retaining key having one end portion bent te substantially e right angle end adapted to he passed through seii broad slot enci shifteei into said narrow shot with the leg beyond the hendl'engsged in saioi recess and having the opposite end caught in "said notch with the intermediate pertien looped; shove the base of the mil, said breed slot suhstentisiiy corresponding in wicith te the iength 0i seioi leg of the key end said narrow slot substantially eoircespendiing in width to the thickness of said key,

In testimony whereof, We have hereunte signed our names at Phiiafielphie, Pennsylvenie, this 6th day of Novemioer i931,

RQBT. FARIES CHARLES Di YUUNG: 

